National Salami Day
This morning I read that we should all eat a salami sandwich today to celebrate National Salami Day. Who know that Salami had a national day named after it?!
Salami is part of the salumi family. Salumi is a general term used to describe Italian-style cured or preserved meats. It is similar to the French term charcuterie which seems to be more broadly recognized. Most types of salumi are made from pork, in fact, Boccalone, a shop and food cart in the Ferry Building whose motto “tasty salted pig parts” sums it up nicely.
In the Bay Area, there are several restaurants whose chefs specialize in making salumi and offer salumi platters as a house specialty. Usually it is served with complimentary cheeses, toasted bread and sometimes nuts or olives to round out the offering.
I am sad to say that one of the salumi pioneers in SF, Chris Lee recently shuttered the doors of his restaurant, Eccolo in Emeryville. We can only hope that Chef Lee opens a salumi shop in the near future.
But fear not, there are several Bay Area restaurants that feature salumi including Bar Bambino in the Mission, Incanto in Noe Valley, Adesso in Oakland and there’s Diavola Pizzaria and Salumeria in Geyserville (where this picture was taken) – definitely worth taking a trip for both the pizza and salumi.
If you’re curious to learn more, check out these books that do a good job of shedding light on the process as well as providing practical recipes utilizing salumi. Salumi, cookbook by Joyce Goldstein that features recipes utilizing various types of salumi, and Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing by Michael Ruhlman.
Mark your calendar for next year’s Salami Day – on September 7, 2010 it will be here again!
mkmtEAT, mkmtLIVE | Comment (0)Leave a Reply